Online English teaching is THE thing at the moment. (I wrote this in 2020, when the whole industry had just moved online almost overnight – but teaching beginners remotely is just as relevant, and just as tricky, today.)
However, I know from my many years as an online English teacher that one of the trickiest groups of students to teach are beginners/near beginners. Add in the online element, and it gets tougher still.
So, my aim with this short blog is to give you some top tips and a short video explainer so you can see what a successful, functional, beginner English lesson online might look like.
What are the secrets of success with online beginners?
If I had to summarise the secrets of success here, I’d say:
- Keep it moving, smile and encourage lots (thumbs up, smile, nod)
- Be graphic: use pictures, real stuff, or a some words on screen to help them ‘hang on’ to something that isn’t just you
- Keep it simple. Be direct in instruction: John, repeat, for example. (Lose the polite metalanguage: John, if you would, could you please repeat…..)
- Model lots and give them the space to practise through easy to explain activities
- Keep the learning aims functional (practically useful) and simple. It might be a few phrases for buying things in a shop or be some useful structures for everyday usage: Can/can’t + lots of verbs, for example. In the video explainer below, the aim is for the students to be able to tell you a bit about themselves.
- Give them some consolidation work to do for homework so they are practising outside class (beginners need a lot of input) and repeat next time for the first 5 minutes or so as revision
What does the video explainer cover?
Below you can see a 5 min video and download the worksheet I use. Essentially in this lesson I teach students how to say:
A few things using the verb to be:
I’m name
I’m nationality
I’m married/single
Also, a few things using:
I’ve got….
And a few things saying:
I like/don’t like + noun
I go through each stage bit, by bit, modelling the sample sentences and giving space for them to practise. Notice how I teach chunks of language at a time, keep it moving and supply extra language as needed. It’s functional, gets them talking early and is easy to explain.
I might get them to write it up after for consolidation, ready to tell me again next time.
How do you structure a beginner English lesson online?
Whatever language point you choose, the shape of a successful online beginner lesson tends to be the same. Here’s the structure I follow in the video:
- Warm up with familiar language. Greet the student, smile, and revisit words or phrases they already know so they start the lesson feeling successful, not lost.
- Present one small chunk. Introduce a single, functional piece of language – for example I’m + name / nationality – supported by pictures, objects or a few words on screen.
- Model it clearly. Say the target sentences slowly and naturally, more than once, so the student has a clear example to copy.
- Drill with repetition and encouragement. Use direct instructions (Repeat), gestures and plenty of praise. Beginners need far more repetition than feels natural.
- Give space to practise and personalise. Let the student produce the language about themselves – their name, their family, what they like – with you supplying extra words only as needed.
- Set consolidation homework and recycle. Ask them to write the language up after class, then spend the first five minutes of the next lesson revising it before you add anything new.
What mistakes should you avoid with beginners?
A few things that reliably sink an online beginner lesson:
- Polite metalanguage. If you wouldn’t mind, could you possibly repeat… is kind but incomprehensible. Keep instructions to one or two words.
- Too much new language at once. One small chunk, practised properly, beats five structures skimmed.
- A blank screen. If the student has nothing to look at but you, they have nothing to ‘hang on’ to. Pictures, objects and key words on screen are your friends.
- Filling every silence. Beginners need thinking time. In fact this is one of the three most common mistakes online English teachers make at every level.
- Racing ahead without recycling. If last lesson’s language never comes back, it never sticks.
- Speaking at natural speed from minute one. Slow down, leave gaps between phrases, and let your face and gestures carry part of the meaning.
One final thought: your very first lesson with a beginner is often a trial lesson, where the student is deciding whether to continue with you. The same principles apply, but the stakes are higher – so it’s worth reading our companion guide to succeeding in your first trial online English lesson before you meet them.
Hope this is helpful. Enjoy teaching this challenging but rewarding group.
Frequently asked questions
Can complete beginners learn English online?
Yes – with the right approach. Online beginner lessons work when the teacher keeps aims functional, uses lots of visuals, models everything, and drills with plenty of repetition and encouragement. What doesn’t work is unstructured conversation: beginners need small, carefully staged chunks of language they can succeed with immediately.
What equipment do I need to teach English online?
A reliable computer and internet connection, a headset, a webcam, good lighting and a quiet background. For beginners especially, add visual aids: pictures or objects you can hold up, and a way to put key words on the screen – screen-sharing or a simple virtual whiteboard both work well.
How much can I earn teaching English online?
Rates depend on your route, experience and specialism. Marketplace and company teachers usually start at lower rates and build up through reviews and qualifications, while independent teachers set their own prices and keep the full fee. Confidence with challenging groups like beginners is itself a specialism that helps justify higher rates.
Where next?
- Need some specific teaching practise to beginners?
Learn how in our practical Zoom teacher-led online short course - More on teaching English to beginners
- More on how to teach English online
- New to online teaching? Start with our full guide to teaching English online, freelancing and working for yourself
- Get equipped with our 20 hour Teaching English Online course and the Teaching English Online Starter Pack of ready-made lessons